Potato & Book Pairings for National Potato Day

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August 19th may be the official National Potato Day, but for anyone who appreciates the humble spud, any day is a day to celebrate. Deceptively simple, this little starch can be turned into just about anything—national dishes (like poutine), iconic snacks (like French fries), and even rich, creamy dishes that are essentially just a lot of cream, cheese, and butter masquerading as a "vegetable" side.

Versatile, beloved, and often the fastest and easiest way to create that warm fuzzy feeling, potatoes also have a whole lot in common with books. It may seem like a stretch only a shoestring could reach, but they are classic, comforting, and while not everyone loves every book (potato), there’s a potato (book) for everyone. So this August, combine a new read with a delicious snack, and celebrate the best of both!

Mashed Potatoes & Comfort Reads

Comfort reads are hard to define because the most comforting book of all is one that you have read a thousand times before. It’s the classic that feels nostalgic, easy, like slipping into a well-worn sweater, and that’s different for everyone. Just like a big bowl of mash, everyone wants them to be slightly different—with lumps, with mash, whipped to a frenzy, with the skins still on. Comfort (and mash) is definitely a personal preference.

For those in search of a new, and particularly timely comfort read though, Katherine May’s Wintering is a phenomenal choice. Subtitled The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times, Wintering takes the reader back to nature, reflecting on all the ways that the world around us uses solitude for recovery.

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Fries & Fast Reads

Fries are the perfect form of potato—quick, easy, something to grab when all you need is a satisfying snack, but still just the right balance of elements. For fry-lovers, quick, light reads are an amazing choice—something that is going to satisfy without taking way too much time—like Geekerella!

This nerdy YA take on the classic fairy tale is simple, satisfying, and won’t take too long, and if, like a pile of fries, you just can’t stop at one, there is a whole series of similar fairy tale reimaginings from Ashley Poston, including Bookish and the Beast and The Princess and the Fangirl.

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Potato Skins & Short Stories

Another potato snack for people who can’t decide if they want to eat the whole plate or just one, potato skins are the perfect pairing with collections of essays, short stories, and smaller musings. Like Mindy Kaling’s incredible collection Why Not Me? Covering the thoughts, feelings, and incredible success story of this comedian/actress/writer/director/producer, Why Not Me? is hilarious, insightful, and, just like loaded skins, all too easy to finish in one sitting.

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Scalloped Potatoes & Cheesy Classics

Scalloped potatoes are not the newest, trendiest potato dish on the menu. In fact, they may not be on many menus anymore as the potato trend has shifted away from what was once a true classic. Dripping with butter, cheese, and cream, scalloped potatoes are more indulgent than they are healthy, but that’s part of the appeal—just like those books that may no longer be the talk of book clubs, but are still absolutely incredible.

Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love has become a byword for the spiritual memoirs of women finding themselves, but those who may dismiss this gorgeously written tale of love, loss, recovery, meditation, and pasta have forgotten just how good it is. It may be considered a little cheesy now, but it’s still incredible.

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Potato Nachos & Surprising Fiction

It may seem difficult to upgrade something like nachos, but turn those corn chips into potato slices, and it’s a dish that may surprise but will always delight. Just like fiction with a twist, that is shocking and incredibly moreish.

Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl has become iconic for its genre, with a Blockbuster adaptation to its name, but for those that haven’t read it yet, this does live up to the hype! The thriller is packed with twists and turns, full of big surprises, and an absolute page-turner. In the end, it’s satisfying, even if it’s surprising, too.

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15 Hour Potatoes & Epic Classics

Finally, one of the biggest TikTok trends at the moment is the 15 Hour Potato, otherwise known as thousand layer duck confit potatoes. Rich, intense, taking an incredible amount of time, and absolutely worth it, just like some of the biggest classics. War and Peace, Crime and Punishment—these, like the dish, are not for the faint of heart, but if you put in the time, they are so very worth it!

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What potato would you pair with your favorite dish? Tweet @quirkbooks and let us know!